


Caduceus

by pretzel_logic



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: & are strong friendship / are ships in relationship tags, AU season 1 ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - wrong turn at Albuquerque, BAMF Stiles, Derek is Derek, Everyone Has Issues, F/M, M/M, Multi, Relationships to be added - Freeform, Scott's the Alpha Now, Tags to be added, au season 2, slow burn sterek, so many issues, summaries are not my strong point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-02-06 06:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1847389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretzel_logic/pseuds/pretzel_logic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As if things hadn't been crazy enough, Scott becomes the alpha when killing Peter fails to cure him. Things are messed up, beyond messed up, but if they work through things together maybe things will turn out alright. Hopefully... Just maybe?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. (Prologue) The Beginning of Regrets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [calikocat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/calikocat/gifts), [dearjayycee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearjayycee/gifts).



> Warning: expect violence typical of the show and prologue is in present tense. Because I like my prologues in present tense. I'm sorry if that bugs you.
> 
> Dedicated to calikocat and dearjayycee for being my sounding boards.
> 
> Much love to the beta Lock that cleaned up this prologue.

Derek isn't sure what he's thinking, what he's doing. He's never felt more adrift. He knows... all he knows is... this has to end. Revenge is just as bad as running away; once you start you _never_ stop. Derek wants to stop. He's tired of running. He feels sick at the very idea that killing his _last living relative_ is the only way to avenge Laura. The alpha power might stop him from feeling weak and powerless but... but it doesn't change the fact that Derek is so completely _done_ trying to play alpha to a human and freshly bitten wolf that just _never listens_.

"So it comes down to this," Peter manages to hiss out angrily from his freshly burned body. Derek wants to gag, the new horror mixing with old. He had never wanted to smell burning flesh again and here he was being the cause of it once more. He can't look away from his uncle but he can distantly hear Scott pleading for his chance to be human again, for Derek to uphold his promise. No one else is talking but he can smell their fear, knows they're all waiting for Derek to make his choice.

Not that it's much of a choice. Kill his Uncle, don't kill his uncle. If he or Scott don’t do it than an _Argent_ most certainly will and that would be even worse. Derek should be the one, he _knows_ it should be him. Except that means killing Peter, his uncle. The same uncle that got him into trouble when he was younger as much as he got Derek _out_ of it. The witty, sarcastic, prankster uncle. The uncle that had loved his family, his pack, even if he chaffed under his sister's leadership. But then Laura and the murders happened. His uncle is not the man on the ground before them. 

Derek's chest heaves with his effort not to cry, to calm his emotions. He lifts his clawed right hand to strike only to bury it the ground next to Peter's neck. He couldn’t do it after all. "I'm sorry," is all Derek can choke out before he's in front of Scott and doing his best not to shift on the brat and growl at him. "He's in a lot of pain. Make it quick." He does not stick around to see what Scott decides to do, he can't. He just starts running as best as his damaged body allows and _refuses_ to stop until even his werewolf stamina can't sustain his efforts.

Running. Always Running. Derek wishes he could stop but he doesn't remember how. Not after so many years.

\---

Scott's half-tempted to call Derek back, tell Derek he changed his mind about this. Except, he wants to be human again, more than anything; especially if it'll make it safer to date Allison.

Scott never asked for this, he doesn't want to be a werewolf, a monster. He's tried to kill Stiles and Allison multiple times now. The one time was Peter's fault but that doesn't excuse the other incidences, doesn't excuse the fact a part of him wants to rip Allison and Stiles to shreds with his own hands. Part of him wants to lick their blood off his hands and howl in victory because he’d taken down his prey. The worst part is... Scott thinks a part of him _always_ felt this way and getting bitten just made it stronger. Scott doesn't care what Derek says, the bite will never be a gift to him.

That is why Scott has to do this; that he has to kill Peter. It may be his only chance at being human again. His only chance at once again silencing the part of him that just wants to kill indiscriminately.

Approaching Peter is nerve-wracking, Scott can't believe he's about to kill someone. Yes, Peter more than deserves... something for everything he's done but, death? Is that the only option they had? Scott's not sure he can do this but with Derek gone he has no other option.

Peter's breath is pretty awful, almost worse than his raw burns. Scott wants to gag because they did this. What is happening to them that setting a person on fire is okay? Scott can't wait to be human again and look back on all this as one long horrible nightmare.

Derek wants him to make it quick... hopefully clawing out Peter's throat counts as quick.

Scott fights back a howl as the sensation of blood coats his hand and a power unlike anything he imagined floods through him. Something went wrong.

\---

This is it, the moment of truth. Stiles hopes for everyone's sake it works. That everything will be over and done with. Except it doesn't work. Scott's eyes are still glowing like a werewolf's except now they're blood red instead of yellow.

"I'm the alpha now," Scott says and looks completely soul-crushed by that knowledge.

Stiles wants to reassure Scott that things will be okay, that they'll get through this. Somehow. But right now Stiles is pretty sure they only have a few hours to cover up the whole werewolves and hunter death match that happened. Scott's going to have to wait for more than a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"So, uh, what now?" Stiles asks, looking at Mr. Argent because if anyone knew how to cover up the supernatural it's him.

"Now, all of you go home. We'll take care of this," Chris says as he looks at the four teenagers and shakes his head. Stiles can’t help but mentally scoff. Yeah, okay, they're all a little, _a lot_ , traumatized but this isn't the movies. Cops _will_ be there eventually. His father will be there eventually. They cannot just leave things as they are.

"No. No way. Jackson can take Scott and Allison home but I'm staying," Stiles declares and tries to glare Mr. Argent into submission. He has no idea what he's planning on doing, just that he has to stay.

At least the hunter looks equal parts impressed and skeptical. "And just what do you hope to do here, Stiles?"

"Gee, I don’t know. Give the police and the sheriff, my father, as much evidence as possible to close this case without giving away the whole werewolves are real thing maybe" Stiles growls out waving in Scott and Peter's general direction. Dead Peter. Peter's corpse. That he helped set on fire before Scott killed him. Oh. My. God. "Just- dad found wolf hairs on Laura and at a couple of the other crime scenes. It looked like people were being murdered by a wolf. So make it look like Kate or someone was killing people with a pet wolf and it got loose? Where is your crazy sister anyway?"

"Dead," Chris says and oh. Well, good. That was one less major problem to worry about then. Probably should not have said she was crazy. Oops.

"Great, so find Peter's car, it was his nurse but she's kind of busy _being dead in the trunk_ , make it look like Kate drove that here. Oh man, is that too much? For one woman to pull off?" Stiles isn't exactly sure what Kate could or couldn't have done on her own, doesn't really want think about it when he's standing right outside the evidence.

"There's the guy in the basement," Scott supplies, finally moving away from what used to be Peter and sort of just comfort huddling behind Stiles. He seemed to be acting as if Stiles was a shield as well as the only thing keeping Scott together.

"Guy? Basement? What?" Stiles loves Scott like a brother but he cannot follow his logic sometimes.

Scott nods. "He was trying to torture Derek when I rescued him."

_Trying_ to torture Derek? What the fuck, Scott? Someone either is or isn't being tortured, there is no _trying_ to torture someone. This is not how he wants to be like Yoda. If he was going to be Yoda he deserved to have the Force along with it, damnit. "Christ," Stiles manages and he has a feeling Mr. Argent is feeling the same way. "Yeah that'll work. That good?"

"I can take care of this, Stiles," Chris promises and Stiles is beginning to think that yeah, maybe he can. Plus, Chris is now giving him this look like he can't tell whether he wants to recruit him or put him on a threat watch list. Leaving might be a good idea now.

"Great! We'll just be going now. Uh, with Allison?" Stiles asks and is kind of grateful Jackson is too busy freaking out to do more than stare at Peter's body.

Chris looks ready to say no, possibly a 'hell no' but then Allison turned to her father and pleaded quietly at him and he grudgingly lets her go. She won't look at any of them and Stiles decides to ride in the back of the porsche with her because he really doesn't think now is the time for Scott to try to have a heart to heart with her. Not that Scott looks like he's in the mood to do anything but stare at his _blood-stained_ hands. Oh my god.

"Jackson? I'll go home with Scott," Stiles says quietly, not quite willing to talk louder in case someone comes out of shock and starts freaking out.

Oh man, they are all so fucked up.


	2. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long night and it's not over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took longer to write than I planned because time between season 1 and 2 is more than a bit blurry. Unsurprising, Teen wolf has never had a decent sensible timeline. Also, I did not realize so much stuff happened in season one's finale other people were completely ignorant of.

Stiles met Scott when they were four when they had by chance decided to play in the same sandbox at the park's playground. They just clicked from the start and had been inseparable since. Well, mostly inseparable since that day. Point was, Scott and Stiles had twelve years of friendship with no boundaries, and everything was fair game to discuss. They knew how each other's minds worked to the point they could have practically silent phone conversations.

So Stiles knew something was wrong with Scott... more than becoming an alpha werewolf, more than killing Peter, or even, possibly, losing Allison for a second time. Stiles just did not know _what_ and knew he needed to get Scott to open up to him about it. Just, not right now.

What Scott needed right now was bro-cuddles and angst-free kids movies. Actually, probably just cartoons, kids movies tended to be secretly heart-wrenching. Eh, Scott had the series box set of MacGyver, it would do.

They had settled on the living room couch with pillows on both arm rests and legs tangled in the middle of couch under the fleece throw that Stiles had mentally dubbed ‘the comfort sheet’. It was warm, fuzzy, and just somehow made you feel better. Plus, it was January and even Northern California got chilly this time of year. The two of them got through the entire first disc of season one when Stiles suddenly remembered.

"Oh shit!"

"Stiles?" Scott questioned, instantly awake from his half-sleeping fugue state.

"Lydia! I forgot Lydia! How the hell did I forget Lydia?" Stiles questioned as he scrambled up to Scott's room for some clean clothes.

Scott walked after him wide-eyed and horrified. "You left Lydia at the Winter Formal?"

Stiles paused with his shirt half off as he stared at Scott in confusion. "What? No. Why would you-? Oh," Stiles said softly. Scott didn't know. Scott had been escaping Coach and then reconnecting with Allison. Come to think of it, why had Scott left the Winter Formal and gone looking for Derek? "Peter attacked Lydia on the lacrosse field when she was looking for Jackson. She's in the hospital. Peter, he- he bit Lydia."

Scott's face somehow grew even more alarmed before turning serious. "Let's go," he ordered and Stiles was never more grateful for his best friend, his brother in all but blood.

Of course, getting to the hospital and then sneaking a look at Lydia's bite was easier said than done. Stiles hovered over Scott's shoulder as he examined Lydia's bite mark and tried not gag at the sight of the wound.

"She's not healing," Scott sounded honestly puzzled.

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean, dad said she kept going into shock from some sort of allergic reaction. Maybe she's just rejecting the bite?" Stiles suggested while starting to shift his weight from foot to foot as they left Lydia's room before they got caught. 

Frowning, Scott turned to look back at Lydia's room before shaking his head. "No, you can’t sense it. I don't think even I could before- before. Lydia's scent has changed. I'm not sure how it’s just, stronger. And there's this feeling, like I’m connected to her. Like I didn't even know I was being pulled towards her before now," Scott admitted starting to wheeze for air and Stiles half-worried he was going to have a panic attack.

"Whoa, Scott, buddy, calm down. We'll figure this out. We'll get through this. Everything's going to be okay," Stiles reassured, as best he could, squeezing Scott's shoulders comfortingly.

"No its not!" Scott denied pulling away from Stiles. "Nothing's okay, nothing is ever going to be okay! Don't lie to me, don't lie to yourself."

Ouch. "Yeah, okay. It's not okay, you're right. Everything fucking sucks right now but, Scott, you're my brother man. We're in this together," Stiles promised.

Scott took some deep, albeit shaky, breaths before relaxing. "Thanks but, I think I really need to talk to Derek about all this. He's the only one that really knows about werewolves that isn’t going to shoot me."

"I don't think Mr. Argent would shoot you. I mean he could have earlier, but didn't. He mentioned having a code," Stiles pointed out as he took a seat in the waiting room. Scott knew he was staying. He wasn't going to forget Lydia again. 

"He almost ran me over just to be sure I was a werewolf," Scott argued.

Stiles conceded Scott had a point. Mr. Argent was a scary man with wolfsbane-laced bullets and a daughter dating a werewolf. Not a good combination.

"Well, good luck finding Sir Scowslalot during his brooding mcangst fest in the woods," Stiles grumbled.

Scott stared.

"I might have taken more Adderall than strictly prescribed before taking Lydia to the dance," Siles explained throat choked with guilt and worry. Maybe he would buy Lydia 'get well soon' balloons. Everyone liked balloons, right?

\---

"Derek! I know you're out here!" 

Derek fought back an aggravated sigh. What did Scott want now? He kept his stupid promise, he let Scott kill Peter. Scott got what he wanted from Derek so why was the kid coming after him again? How was Scott even tracking him down if he was human again?

Derek felt his gut twist. Scott... was human again. Wasn't he? Scott had to have killed Peter; Derek would have inherited the alpha power if a human killed his uncle. The legends and old rumours all said, hell even modern media, that killing the wolf that bit you returned you to humanity.

Then again the stories all also claimed werewolves had a deadly weakness to silver. 

Derek inhaled sharply. No. **No.** Scott was human now. He _had_ to be. There was no way Scott was an a-

"Derek?” Scott called again just feet behind him.

Derek stood up slowly and stared, stunned, at Scott. "You're still a werewolf," he said, because he could not manage anything else. Could not beyond the fact Scott wasn't 'cured'. He even still smelled like a werewolf, but that shouldn’t have happened.

"And now an alpha, no thanks to you," Scott snarled, eyes glowing blood red as he shifted to his beta form. 

Derek fought back against the instinct to submit, to back down. He may be a beta, _omega_ a part of him corrected, but he was not _Scott's_ beta. Not yet anyways, not ever if Derek had his way. He never had things go his way.

"Don't start with me Scott! You wanted to kill Peter! You forced me to swear on it!" Derek snarled shifting to his own beta form and trying not to think about what happened in that cellar. Trapped with Kate there, taunting him, _licking_ him. Tried to bury the fear and sense of betrayal when Scott refused to free him and all Derek had been able to think about was getting away before _She_ came back. It would be even worse when she came back. He could not give Scott the wrong impression; that he was scared of him.

"And now I'm more of a monster than I was before! You lied! You lied to me! Why didn't you just kill Peter when you had the chance?" Scott said as he charged Derek, rage and despair making him reckless.

Scott had power but Derek had experience. He knew how to fight and better yet, he knew how to fight werewolves. Scott didn't and it showed. As Derek practically danced around Scott, the alpha wolf focused too much on trying to follow Derek with his eyes and not his other senses. Even by human standards Scott was choreographing his attacks and it was easy, pathetically, to knock Scott to the ground or into a nearby tree.

"I didn't lie to you Scott. I really don't care if you think otherwise but, we're _not_ monsters. What we are is a gift! Monsters are things like Kate, her minions, and Peter. People who are too focused on revenge that they don’t care who they have to kill to get it," Derek said through a growl when Scott finally stayed down, for a change. He had hoped the fight had gone out of the teen as he offered Scott a hand up.

Scott growled ferociously as he surged upright, clawing deep groves along Derek's arm as the older werewolf pulled away too late. Derek was too surprised to block or dodge Scott's follow-up kick. With a grunt he stumbled backwards into a tree and Derek ducked down to the forest floor to avoid another swipe from Scott's claws, his wounded arm burning from the pain and strain of supporting his weight. 

The young alpha continued to press his advantage though his attacks were sloppy again. "I was supposed to be human again! Now Allison thinks I'm a monster and her dad is going to kill me! I'll always have to worry about losing control and hurting someone!"

Derek continued to keep his distance, his ability to defend himself greatly hampered by his injury and exhausted body. Eventually, Scott managed to hit Derek with a punch and he collapsed to the forest floor. The fight seemed to go out of Scott when Derek did not move.

Derek stayed down but rolled his eyes. Scott was such a child. "Like you lost control just then and tried to kill me? Newsflash Scott, I wasn't trying to hurt you back. Any beta that comes after you for your powers will be aiming to _kill_ you and they'll win. You'll be lucky if you somehow survive long enough for the hunters to put a wolfsbane bullet in your skull," Derek told him, closing his eyes in weariness. His body still ached and twitched from being electrocuted for so long and his blind run through the woods had not done him any favours. Even all of the emotions from everything that had happened was dragging him down. It was surprising he had lasted as long as he did against Scott.

"You're not healing, why aren't you healing?" Scott asked sounding so scared and so damn young.

As Derek say up slowly, his eyes opened so he could watch Scott as he answered. “Wounds caused by an alpha take longer to heal." Stupid kid was barely over a month into being a werewolf and already an alpha. Without help, _his_ help, Scott was a dead man walking. Keeping his gaze down in respect, Derek stood up and tilted his head towards the house. He ignored the sense of alpha and pack that flared inside of him at the gesture. "Come on, I parked my car not too far from the house. I doubt the hunters found it. I'll give you a ride home."

"No," Scott said firmly, shaking his head. "We need to go to the hospital. Lydia got bitten by Peter but, she hasn't started healing yet."

Derek stopped walking. He had thought to take Scott home and then just keep going, keep running like he always had. Running had been a good plan. But Scott was dead without his help. "Alright but, the bite can take a while to work. If she hasn't died from her body rejecting it yet then she'll be fine," Derek warned. He'd stay for now, until he thought Scott could survive without him. Scott had a lot to learn and not much time to do it in. But maybe it wouldn’t take too long?

"The bite can kill you!?" 

Derek sighed as he edited his thoughts. Looked like he was going to be here a long time; he was surprised that he didn't seem to mind.

\---

Scott couldn’t help but anxiously quiz Derek on everything about werewolves. It was one thing to have Stiles figure out he's a werewolf before he does, Stiles isn't afraid to look outside the box for answers. No one else would have guessed Scott had turned into a werewolf and that that had been the right answer other than Stiles. Stiles wasn't a werewolf though and most of what Stiles had learned was bullshit guesswork and that was finally starting to sink in. Scott needed to know about what it meant to be a werewolf, especially now that he couldn't be cured. Derek is the only one that Scott has to teach him, even if Derek is a horrible teacher.

Not that Derek is doing more than rolling his eyes and giving Scott dirty looks as they walk back to the Hale house. When they're in sight of it Derek finally snaps in irritation.

"Look. Let's just get to the hospital and you can interrogate me later," Derek snarled as his eyes glowed electric blue. 

Scott opened his mouth to protest but reluctantly stayed silent. Derek was right, if only this one time. Answers could wait until everything was a bit calmer.

"Derek? Scott? What are you two boys doing back here?" Chris Argent demands out of nowhere causing Scott to jump. Derek looked pointedly unimpressed with Scott before turning to face Allison's father with a blank expression.

"I'm here for my car. We're headed to the hospital," Derek explained stiffly. Scott was surprised Derek even gave that much information away. Derek surely must hate the Argents even more after everything new that Kate had done to him but Mr. Argent had tried to stop her from killing them when he found out. So maybe Allison's dad got something towards politeness for that?

Chris shook his head. "Bad idea. My men are still cleaning up the scene and you're still wanted. You've resisted arrest instead of going in for questioning; the cops might decide to shoot you to protect civilians," the hunter warned.

Derek grimaced and looked unhappy. "I know but, Scott wants me to check up on a girl my uncle attacked and I don't need to hide anymore."

For a few moments there's a stand-off of stony faces before Chris grimaces and shakes his head. "No, still a bad idea. I'll take you and Scott to the hospital once my men and I are done here. We'll work out a cover story." Chris didn't so much argue his point as ordered them around.

Derek turned to Scott then and raised his eyebrows expectantly. Was Derek really letting him decide what to do? Sure he was the alpha now but Derek was older and had no problem bossing him around when they were both betas. Even Chris was looking at him to make a decision now. Wow, no pressure.

"Uh, sure, Mr. Argent.” Stiles would be so much better at this. “How about I realized Derek had my phone and I went to you after Stiles told me his suspicions about Kate and we came out here to find her?" Scott suggested nervously, not sure how to feel about two older men looking at him, a teenager, for direction.

The hunter nodded. "Kate arrived while we were underground seeing to Derek. She had Peter's corpse with her, along with the wolf she was using to hide the murders as animal attacks. She was going to burn the body. We startled her when coming out with Derek and the wolf got loose," Argent added as he built upon the suggested scenario. "The wolf... killed Kate and then escaped. I shot at it but I'm unsure if I successfully hit it."

Derek looked between the two of them rapidly, his stance loosening a little as he managed a flat, "What."

"Oh! Right! You weren’t here... Uh, Stiles talked to Mr. Argent about covering things up but, uh, that was before I came back out here to find you," Scott explained sheepishly. Man, if it wasn't him playing catch up on events he missed this night than it was someone else. Ugh, had everything that had happened, including everything now, only occur within a few hours? The hours felt like years.

"We're... working with them?" Derek asked and Scott was surprised there was no anger in his words, just hesitation. Derek was acting kind of weird since Scott found him actually. He was not pushing or ordering or even growling at Scott anymore and it was _weird_. He was beginning to think he would never understand Derek.

"For now. I follow the Code and I make sure my men do the same. From here out, it's up to Scott to decide how well we'll get along," Mr. Argent explained without his usual brusqueness. Scott tried not to gape. Chris was acting almost... nice to Derek. He had never acted nice to Scott even when he wasn't aware Scott was a werewolf! As if reading his mind, Mr. Argent turned to Scott with a look that promised murder, "And you stay away from my daughter."

Scott didn't want to lie but, he's not going to ever agree. So just nodded his head once and hoped it was enough. Chris looked unimpressed but didn't push for a verbal confirmation.

"Good. Since we're changing our story some, I need to know; Derek, can you control your healing factor?" Chris turned back to Derek to give him an assessing gaze while waiting for his answer.

Scott had no idea what was going on but Derek seemed to know and was tense but resigned to what was to come. "Yes," he gritted out through his teeth as if the single word pained him.

Chris looked equally as pained as he nodded. "Let's get this over with then."

Scott stared at the two men, alarmed. Get what over with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to stop hurting Derek, canon does that enough.


	3. Hospital Drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alliances start form, Derek gets cleared of charges and Stiles and Scott end up in so much trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I found this chapter pretty much written on my google docs account and could not figure out why I never posted it until I realized there was a glaring plot-hole of epic proportions in the first part. So I modified the first part and everything looks good now. Not beta'd.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Not in my car you're not," Chris growled as he looked away from the road to glare pointedly at Scott.

Derek made a noise from the back seat of the car. Something amused and exasperated, if the eye roll was anything to go by, but also pained. Very pained. Scott looked behind him once more to stare at Derek. The older werewolf's nose was broken and one eye was so badly bruised Scott wondered if even werewolf healing could completely heal it. And that was just Derek's face. Scott didn't want to think about the rest of the damage Derek's clothes were hiding.

"You looked fine when I found you," Scott growled out feeling his face starting to shift. Everything was too much. Derek dying hadn't bothered him this badly when Kate shot him but Derek being 'roughed up' made Scott want to rip Chris's throat out. 

"Scott, I'm okay. Calm down." Derek spoke slowly, eyes glowing blue as he tilted his head. The order enraged Scott, not that that was anything new, but, Derek tilting his head calmed him.

Scott didn't understand what Derek did but, it helped calm his werewolf nature and gave Scott a moment to feel like he was in control. "I hate this."

"You're managing well enough for a new alpha. Were you next in line for the position in your old pack?" Chris asked once it was clear Scott had settled.

"Old pack? I was never in a pack until Derek showed up. Peter-" Scott started to explain but Derek was glaring at him. It was kind of impressive given his horrible black eye but, Scott knew Derek's glares. The older werewolf might as well be shouting 'shut up you idiot'.

Chris was frowning now and Scott knew if the hunter wasn't driving he'd be trying to glare them into telling him everything. "It’s more than a little obvious you’re a bitten wolf Scott. You’re too uncomfortable with being a werewolf to have been born one but, you’re pointedly not telling me Peter was the one to bite you? I’ve heard of younger and fresher wolves earning Alpha status.” Chris’s lips twitched into a grimace as he turned his attention back to the road. “They don’t last long and rarely is it a hunter’s fault.”

“He refused to be part of Peter’s pack, he never worked with Peter and actively against him when he could,” Derek said suddenly defensive and Scott could not help but feel surprise at Derek’s praise. For all the so-called training Derek had given him, compliments were never shared. “He can handle being Alpha.”

“Really?” Chris murmured more to himself than either of his passengers. “I’m going to have to tell Victoria everything and with Kate dead, my father is going to be out for your blood, code or no code. You’ll have our help on one condition Scott; stay the hell away from my daughter.”

Scott wanted to protest. Whatever was between him and Allison was between them and not anyone else. No one else got a say in who they were to each other. He never wanted to be a werewolf. He never asked for the bite. He killed Peter to try to be cured not become an Alpha! All he ever wanted was to play lacrosse and date Allison, be a normal teenager. Mr. Argent would not care, so Scott stayed stubbornly quiet. 

Derek rolled his eyes and sighed. “Scott.” Before this evening Scott would say it was an order but now it sounded like a plea.

“I want to talk to Allison first.”

Chris looked unhappy but did not argue. “Fair enough.”

\---

Derek felt oddly comforted being 'interviewed', given his wanted status it was closer to an interrogation, by the Sheriff. The man had muttered a 'christ' more than once after interviewing Argent and Scott and a 'jesus, son' when he finally got a look at Derek's still unhealed face. There was just something _paternal_ and _alpha_ that put Derek at ease in the same way it had him on edge when Stiles's father tried to interrogate him about Laura's body. There was also a sense of _pack_ attached to the man now that Derek accidentally submitted to Scott.

That reminder made him grimace. He was still conflicted about his decision to stay and help Scott. They barely got along or trusted each other when they were just brothers, packmates. Derek doubted things would get any better now that Scott had the power of alpha in him to resent following Derek's instruction even more. Yet, Scott needed him and so he'd stay because you don't abandon pack. Even if that meant letting Chris Argent injure him and get interrogated by the police. _Again_.

"Just a few more questions son, then I'll let you rest like the doctors ordered," Sheriff Stilinski reassured. He looked like he wanted to bundle Derek up in a blanket and hand him some homemade hot chocolate. It was pretty obvious somewhere along the way Derek, or forged circumstances, convinced the man of his innocence.

"Do you have any idea why Kate Argent felt the need to kidnap your uncle?"

 _He's not my uncle. That man died in the fire._ Derek wanted to say, to scream. Instead he looked away from Stiles's father, unwilling to give anything away with his expression. Let the man think he's trying to hide his grief or guilt. "Laura and I visited him. Kate probably worried Peter would... wake up, or I don't know. She seemed... she seemed ready to kill anyone I knew to insure she never got caught for the fire."

Derek's nose twitched as he tried to make sense of the sudden flood of emotions the Sheriff's scent carried. 

"Stiles? Scott?" Stilinski asked and Derek understood immediately. "That night at the school... she knew the boys were involved somehow."

Derek shook his head. "She knew I had help but not- not who." Derek grimaced once again. "They were helping me look into Laura's death. None of us thought it was an accident. Accusing me of the murders probably saved them."

"So that's how Stiles knows you better than he admitted," the sheriff grumbled, shaking his head and running a tired hand through his hair. "One last question Mr. Hale, are you going to press charges against my son or Scott McCall?"

Derek stared, feeling more than a little pole-axed. How did this conversation even get to this point?

\---

"Dude!" Stiles greeted excitedly upon seeing Scott back at the hospital. Though his enthusiasm faded a bit at seeing Scott alone. "Where's Derek? Did you not find him?"

"Mr. Argent and I checked him in. Your dad's talking to him now," Scott explained, looking pale and almost pained. It was like all Stiles's work at comforting Scott earlier was gone.

"Oh. Wait, why is Derek- How is Derek even-"

"Mr. Argent hurt him, Derek let him, for our cover story. I didn't realize- I didn't _know_ \- he looked _fine_ ," Scott spoke rapidly, as if Stiles's questions had broken through whatever had been keeping Scott calm.

"Whoa, Whoa, Scott. Scottie, calm down. Derek's going to be okay... well, physically. You guys heal insanely fast. It's-" Stiles bit down hard on his tongue before he said it was 'okay'. Cause it really was not, just like Scott said earlier. Also, Chris torturing Derek some more for the sake of a cover story was pretty drastic and fucked up. "It's pretty crazy but, our whole night has been crazy."

"Stiles-"

"Premzyslaw Stilinski!" 

"Wow. My dad sounds angry. At me. Why does my dad sound angry at me?" Stiles questioned, trying not to panic over the fact his father was pissed and using his real name.

Scott stared back at him with an equally alarmed expression. "I dont know. He was interviewing Derek when I left."

The two of them stood in silence as the horrifying possibility after horrifying possibility came to light.

"Scott! Stiles! Both of you are coming with me, now." His father ordered as soon as he turned the corner and got in reasonable speaking distance of them.

"Yes, sheriff," both agreed meekly and Stiles imitated a bobble-head as they were practically marched along to a quiet room usually reserved for family members of a person undergoing surgery. Mrs. McCall was waiting inside for them which made it even clearer Scott and Stiles were in big trouble.

Really, Stiles half expected for his dad to go 'Werewolves?'. Stiles was totally preparing himself for the werewolf reveal.

"I'm only going to ask this once and i want you two to be honest with me. No lying. No 'lying down in a horizontal position'," Dad ordered, staring sternly between Scott and him. "Did you know Derek Hale was innocent when you accused him of murder for the second time?"

Stiles didn't think. He just turned to Scott because that was Scott's plan and Stiles had been thinking werewolves. Scott was staring back at him equally at a loss because Stiles usually was the brains of their epic duo. Turning his attention back to his dad he saw the thunderous expression and knew even just sharing a look was the wrong thing for the two of them to have done.

Oh crap.

“Mr. Hale has decided not to press charges and as sheriff you are damn lucky the police department isn’t going to do anything about the two of you interfering with an on-going investigation. As your father,” Dad bit out, clearly trying to not lose his temper on either of them, “your grounding just go a lot worse Stiles. How worse will be determined when I have time to sit you down and figure out just how sorry you feel about anything.”

“Scott, you’re grounded as well. School, lacrosse, and work only. Heavens know I should make you quit the team but, I really don’t want to have to deal with your coach. No car rights, no Allison, and no Stiles.”

Stiles gaped as his father nodded approvingly and Scott flailed. The next couple of weeks were going to suck, good thing the two of them were a lot better at sneaking out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so anyone that gets me talking about season one knows I HATE how Scott and Stiles accused Derek of the murders a second time during season 1. Not because of reasons like 'poor Derek' but because that was so very illegal. It's one thing to accuse a person you suspect of a crime, its a completely different thing to knowingly accuse an innocent person of a crime. So, yeah, Stiles and Scott got grounded... not that it means much.

**Author's Note:**

> I have [tumblr](pretzel-log1c.tumblr.com)


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